RSS to start countrywide environmental movement

The RSS and its allied organisations will start a mass movement for environmental awareness and water conservation in the country, a senior Sangh functionary said on Monday.

"Discussions on starting such a movement were held during the Sangh's three-day all India coordination meeting which concluded on Sunday at the Raghavendra Swamy Mutt here," RSS Joint General Secretary Manmohan Vaidya told PTI.

The meeting was attended by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and BJP president Amit Shah.

"During the meeting, it was felt that there is a need to spread awareness about water conservation, environment and minimizing plastic waste," Vaidya said.

"Various organisations which are part of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) family are already working in this direction. And there is a need to make it a movement by taking the society together," he said.

The issues related to the environment and how it can be conserved will now also be discussed in RSS shakhas, he said.

The coordination meeting was attended by all executive members of the RSS and national office-bearers of its affiliated organisations, Vaidya said.

Around 200 workers attended the meeting and shared their experiences, views and discussed contemporary issues.

The top brass of the RSS also complimented the relief work carried out by its cadres in flood-affected Kerala.

"There was no specific agenda of the meeting. It was a coordination meeting which takes place twice a year - in September and January," Vaidya said.

No specific decisions are taken in this meet.

This time, the meeting was organised at Raghavendra Mutt on the coast of river Tungabhadra and was also addressed by its head, Swami Subudhendra Teertha.

The Sangh had earlier given indications that it may invite leaders from across the political spectrum to attend a three-day lecture series of Bhagwat later this month.

There were reports that it may invite Congress chief Rahul Gandhi to the programme.